Following President Trump’s executive order prohibiting the use of federal funds to support gender-affirming care for youth, Rhode Island health providers and city and state officials have affirmed their continued support and provision of gender-affirming care.
The directive states that the federal government will not fund or support the transition of individuals under 19 years old “from one sex to another.” In particular, puberty blockers, sex hormones and surgical procedures would no longer receive federal funding.
Every executive department that provides grants to medical institutions must “immediately take appropriate steps” to ensure that these institutions “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children,” the order reads.
On Feb. 4, a coalition of transgender young adults and several LGBTQ+ advocacy groups filed a lawsuit alleging that the order violates “the rights of thousands of transgender people … by depriving them of necessary medical care solely on the basis of their sex and transgender status.”
On Thursday, a federal court in Baltimore granted a temporary restraining order that blocks Trump’s executive order for at least two weeks.
These services are “essential for many transgender and nonbinary individuals, supporting both physical and mental health,” said Gretchen Raffa, chief policy and advocacy officer at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.
R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha announced that he “will continue to enforce state laws that provide access to gender-affirming care,” in a Feb. 5 press release issued alongside the attorneys general of 14 other states.
The attorneys general added that they “will challenge any unlawful effort by the Trump Administration to restrict access to (gender-affirming care) in our jurisdictions.”
A federal court ordered a pause to the Trump administration’s funding freeze after nearly two dozen state attorneys general sued the presidential administration, The Herald previously reported.
In their Feb. 5 press release, the attorneys general claim that the pause means that institutions providing gender-affirming care will continue to receive federal funding “irrespective of President Trump’s recent executive order.”
Raffa said that for individuals seeking gender-affirming care, an abrupt discontinuation of treatment could result in severe medical complications and the escalation of mental health conditions, including “depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation.”
The executive orders “do not override the rights and protections established by the U.S. Constitution, federal law or court decisions,” Raffa added. Planned Parenthood remains “grounded in the fact that our patient’s health is our top priority. That won’t change, no matter what lies ahead.”
Monique Paul, president of the Transgender, Gender Diverse and Intersex Network of Rhode Island, echoed similar sentiments.
The executive orders “are not binding to any law, state or federal, unless they are codified,” Paul wrote in an email to The Herald.
She noted that medical institutions are still “delivering care to those in need,” including minors who have parental consent to receive gender-affirming care.
Government reimbursements and grants, including Medicaid coverage and funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, made up 34% of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates’ revenue in their 2022-2023 period.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley is committed to ensuring that “all residents of all gender identities have access to the care, resources and support they deserve,” Smiley’s Deputy Press Secretary Samara Pinto wrote in an email to The Herald.
Pinto noted that Providence received a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024’s Municipal Equality Index. The perfect score included top marks for providing services to the transgender community and offering transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to public employees, The Herald previously reported.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Lev Kotler-Berkowitz is a sophomore senior staff writer covering city and state politics. He is from the Boston area and is concentrating in Political Science and Economics. In his free time, Lev can be found playing baseball or running around with his dog.
